Sow and Reap: Tamora - The Redacted File
by serena.jones.585
Summary: A Sow and Reap tie in. Tamora and Isis. This is what KaibaCorp didn't want you to know.


Moke-san had often accused me of having unspoken feelings for Ishtaaru-san. She was undeniably lovely and I had played the roll of her husband often enough. I found it a comfortable role to play; she seemed to find it equally acceptable. If there was a woman that I could – that I would want – to take as a wife….

Then, I was younger, more rash. The life of a mercenary suited my nature. My only commitment was to my current contract. My only loyalty was to myself.

I went where 'now' took me, and did what I was hired to do. I lived by my own honor; I saw myself as Ronin – the masterless samurai. I would not take a life purely for money, but there are many reasons for a man to die.

The 'now' took me around the world. Beirut, Belfast, Azerbaijan. They all began to look the same to me. I began to understand why even the greatest of samurai sought to serve one Lord, one Emperor, one country. I began searching for a Lord I could swear loyalty to.

After President Fujimori's administration destroyed both The Shining Path and MRTA, I found myself in Peru in the company of a suddenly powerless rebel faction. Money was not a problem, but safe passage to my next destination was a more complicated question.

More importantly, I had no destination in mind. 'Now' I was here with no new 'now' presenting itself.

The rebels I was with slowly disbursed until a dozen or so remained. Those that left returned to their families or to the cities to try and become part of the new civil order.

Those that remained were the lawless bandits that had no civility within them. As Japanese among them, I wasn't the only foreigner, but I found their lack of honor disturbing. They were indiscriminate in their choice of victims and crimes and increasingly my unwillingness to violate my own code brought me into conflict with the de facto leader of the group.

Machu Picchu is the best known of Incan ruins, but it is not the oldest or most sacred. Tourist groups, archeologists, and the occasional fool would occasionally find their way to the others and, regrettably, often fell prey to a group like ours.

The set-up was simple. Two of the locals would 'stumble' over a group, and in friendly conversation learn, where they were going and offer to guide them there - for a small price. And they did lead them to the correct destination.

Where the rest of us were waiting, armed and ready. Most of the time, we robbed them of any cash and let them continue on their way. Occasionally, there was a woman - or an attractive enough boy - after too long without one, and the unprincipled among us would do unprincipled things.

Rarely, one of the victims would try to fight back. The response was always swift and brutal. The bodies were left in the jungle where they vanished within days.

The end came unexpectedly.

There were seven people in the group lead into the clearing we surrounded - an older man with four collegiate boys and two girls. They seemed to be a teacher and a group of students. One of the girls was wearing a veil covering her hair and long pants that flowed around her ankles like a skirt. Her visible skin was dark, her eyes darker still.

If she truly was Arab and Muslim, as her appearance suggested, she was most likely a virgin. Deflowering her here, now, would be most dishonorable.

The teacher and at least one of the boys spoke Spanish and seemed to understand the situation. The boys spoke among themselves and two of the boys took the hands of girls. The blonde girl pulled closer to the boy for protection.

The Arab girl pulled her hand away. She began looking around at our band of thieves, taking stock of each man in turn. When she looked at me, our eyes met.

She had the eyes of a predator. Taking her would not be easy. Less so, now that I decided I would prevent it.

I heard the yelling start as our leader grew impatient and ordered his men to take their gear. The boys fought back.

The first was punched in the stomach and in the face. The second was shot. The bandits surged toward their victims.

I took a step to my left, grabbed the man passing me and snapped his neck. I killed two more before turning back to see what was happening. My attention had been diverted for two minutes.

Three men were on the ground before the Arab Beauty. She had taken a knife from one of them and slit the throat of a fourth man as I watched.

I glanced at the other students. The teacher was lying unconscious on the ground with a trickle of blood across his forehead. Two attackers were beating the boy who had initially been punched. A third boy lay immobile on the ground. The fourth had gotten a gun somehow and was attempting valiantly to defend the blonde girl from the remaining three bandits; she clung to the boy's back, sobbing.

I looked back at the Arab Woman; she was looking at me.

Five of my former companions were still alive - plus their leader. He had moved out of danger and was rifling through his apparent ill-gotten gains.

Between the remaining opponents, the two attacking the boy on the ground were the lesser threat. I nodded my head toward the Arab Woman and then indicated those men. She nodded once sharply and then amazed me.

She took a running jump and kicked the first attacker to the ground. When she landed, she turned, and slit the throat of the second.

Everyone else stopped and watched as she set her stance in time to throw a jaw-breaking kick at her first opponent who was just beginning to try and stand.

There was a scream behind me. I chided myself for forgetting about the other woman. One of the bandits had her in his arms, gun to her temple. Her protector lay on the ground, clutching his side. I strode toward them.

"You like the young ones, eh, chink?" The one with the gun taunted me in English. "You finished that bitch, you can have this cunt when I finish."

I reached him before he could move away with the sobbing, struggling girl. The other two fled into the woods.

"I'll shoot!" he threatened. But his voice was shaking and, if he were planning to kill her, he would have pulled the trigger already. "I mean it!"

I grabbed his gun hand and broke it. I pulled the girl away from him and threw her out of my way. I elbowed him once to break his jaw. I am not a 'chink'. Then I took the gun from his broken hand and shot him twice.

A third shot was fired behind me, followed swiftly by the Arab Beauty crying out in pain. I turned to see her regaining her stance, but blood flowing freely from her leg.

My former leader had a gun pointed at her as he glared at me. "So what's the deal, Tamora? These asshole promise to smuggle you to America?"

The woman wobbled. She was losing blood and was clearly in pain, but kept her eyes on her target, waiting for an opening.

"The attack was dishonorable," I said simply.

"Yeah? Well fuck your honor! You think you're better than me?" he yelled and turned his gun on me. "Do you?"

I took a step forward and just slightly to his weak side. He fired on me as the Arab woman made her move.

She ran at him. But the leg with the bullet was losing strength and instead of her jumping kick, she attempted to bodily hit him.

She missed. She crashed to the ground behind him.

She did, however, distract him long enough for me to cross the distance between us and get my arm around his neck.

"Yes," I said in answer to his question. Then I snapped his neck.

The Arab woman was unconscious. I tore some bandages from the shirt of the body nearest to us and bound the wound as best I could without moving her clothing. To do so would dishonor her.

I carried her to where the blonde woman lay sniveling and checked the bandits to be sure they were all dead. I finished the ones that were not. One at a time, I moved the bodies into the woods. The jungle would claim them soon enough.

The blonde woman was still sniveling, but trying to speak to me. I ignored her and finished my task.

Two of the college students were dead. I put them in the woods as well, despite the sniveling girl's protests. The teacher appeared to have a concussion, but was otherwise ok. The boy who was beaten was in dire condition, but alive as was protector with the knife wound.

I found a shirt to use as a bandage and another to tie it in place. Then, I grabbed the sniveler, dragged her to her protector and put her hands on his shoulders. I forced him to lay flat despite his groan of pain. I ignored her except to use her to hold his shoulders to the ground. Then I removed the knife. He howled. She cried more, but to her credit, did not let him move much as I tried to stanch the bleeding and wrapped the wound.

I went through the bandits' belongings until I found a flask. I took a sip. The alcohol was strong and bitter. I lifted the boy's head and forced some of it down his throat. I offered it to the blonde. She took it.

I went to check on the Arab woman. She was awake.

"Thank you," she said in English. She looked me in the eye.

"You're welcome," I replied.

"Why?" she asked.

I had no idea. I had just killed seven men because of the look in a woman's eye. I could not stay here any longer, but I had nowhere else to go. I shrugged. "It seemed the right thing to do now." I gestured to the area where she had killed five men. "How?"

She held my eyes for long enough that I thought she was not going to answer me. "My family. I am a Tombkeepper," she said finally.

I had never heard of a 'Tombkeepper', but there were several Arab sects that were known for their combat prowess. I did not pursue the matter.

"Young man?" The teacher was on his feet, swaying but lucid. "I think we should leave now. I don't know how long Arthur and Rex and go without medical attention." He looked around. "I'm not sure I can find my way back to our jeep."

I looked at the Arab Beauty. She was looking at the two injured men. "I'm of no use in a jungle," she said, remorsefully. "Take Melody. She should be able to guide you to our vehicle."

Her injury would be a liability. My desire to spend more time with her had no chance against my self-preservation instinct. I found a water bottle, a pair of guns and ammo, and went over to Melody. "Come."

"What?" She looked at me, dazed. "But what about..."

"It's ok, Melody." The Arab woman was leaning on the teacher as they both made their way to the rest of the group. "We can look after the boys. Show Mr. Tamora where the jeep is."

The girl looked horrified. "Oh no, not me! I'll get lost! You know I'll mess this up, Isis, you know I will."

The Arab Woman - Isis, like the goddess - Isis took Melody's hands. "Professor and I can't walk that far. It has to be you. I promise you won't fail us." She stroked the girl's hair. "You know we're depending on you."

"Come," I said before the girl could begin to protest. "Take some water." I headed toward the path the group entered from originally. There were two routes that tourists typically took. Hopefully, when we got a bit closer to the river, the girl would get her bearings.

Melody and I did not speak as we walked. Two of my former associates were likely there, hiding. Melody was a tempting target for men like them.

"Wait! This way!" Melody got excited and pulled out her cell phone. "I took a picture here. Wait! Hold on!" She scrolled through an endless number of photos. "Yes! See?" Her protector was sitting on a rock eating. "See? The same stratifications. We came that way." She clicked to the next picture. "Oh my God! I am such a moron! I took a million pictures - I have the whole route right here."

I nodded once and gesture for her to lead. 'I promise you won't fail' Isis said. Did she know that Melody had the photos or was it a leap of faith?

We made it back to the vehicle without incident. They had hiked in because they wanted to see the unspoiled wilderness, but not too far away was a route that could be driven. We got back to the temple three hours after we left.

Arthur was awake and in pain, but could get into the vehicle with help. Rex was still unconscious. The Professor and I got him into the back. They worried about doing damage to Rex by moving him especially in the jarring ride back to the city. I shrugged. It was doubtful that the boy would ever wake again.

I drove to the city. After seeking medical attention, they insisted on going to the police.

My picture was one of many on a wall of 'wanted' posters. When the officers asked for my name, I gave it. I gave a full statement as to the events that were being reported. Then they arrested me.

I caught Isis' eye just before they led me away. They were teary. She nodded once. I presumed that was the last I would see of such an extraordinary young woman. She was now.

I expected to spend the rest of my life rotting in that prison. I did not. Kaiba Gozaburo was the type of Warlord who would seek out Ronin and accept their loyalty.

I did not expect to see Isis again so, when KaibaSecurity had a job fair to accommodate Kaiba-sama's newly adopted sons, I was stunned to see a veiled woman in line. Speaking fluent Japanese. I didn't even glance at her resume and hired her on the spot.

'Now' Ishtaaru had her own duties and it would be dishonorable to distract her from them. The past cannot be recaptured. The future may never come. Now, we have our own roles and that is all that matters.


End file.
